1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to zippered bags having a pair of interlocking profiles each including a plurality of closure elements.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Reclosable fastener assemblies are useful for sealing thermoplastic bags. Such fastener assemblies often include a plastic zipper and a slider. Typically, the plastic zippers include a pair of interlockable fastener elements, or profiles, that form a closure. As the slider moves across the profiles, the profiles are opened or closed. The profiles in plastic zippers can take on various configurations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,727 describes interlocking rib and groove elements, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,143 describes a rolling action zipper profile and U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,702 describes profiles that are U-shaped with interlocking hooks.
The sliders for opening or closing the reclosable fasteners are generally shaped so that the slider straddles the profiles. The sliders often include a separating element that is inserted through the profiles in order to open the fastener. Such a slider is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,067,208 and 5,664,299, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other types of sliders, the separating element does not penetrate the profiles, but rather, slides above the profiles on a specially adapted track located above the profiles, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,143. The separating elements may have various shapes, such as a V-shaped separating element, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,184, or a tapered separating element with a circular end, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,208.
A disadvantage of some of the known fastener assemblies is that thermoplastic bags incorporating the fastener assemblies may leak. Leaking is a problem especially in some fastener assemblies using a slider having a separating element for opening the fastener. In these fastener assemblies, the fastener assembly may leak even when the slider is in a closed position because the separating element creates a fluid path through the profiles.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a zippered bag using a slider that will not create a fluid path through the profiles that make up a fastener assembly.